✈ IF I MADE YOU FEEL SECOND-BEST BOY, I'M SORRY I WAS BLIND.

( Alastair "Alec" Gansey △ 27 ▽ Boot Hill Bulletin Journalist △ Resident ). 

[nancybcy]

jasminsummers‌:

nancybcy‌:

“Yikes.” The expression was intended to be silent, yet Jasmin had uttered it for all in earshot to hear. That alone may not have created much offence, but her laughter and facial expression, that really took the cake. She had been watching strangers at the dart booth, admiring the persistence of one in particular; he had been standing there for at least fifteen minutes, seemingly desperate to win a prize. Not however, the prize he had claimed. 

The puppy, in truth had come out of nowhere, hidden somewhere below the booth counter, a mystery prize of sorts. Her own dog, Topher, perked up at the sight of another, pulling Jas closer on his lead for inspection. The puppy was cute, there was no denying the fact, but an animal like that was no suitable town fair prize— but who would argue with the booth manager. The man was not only large and broad, but covered in tattoos and smoking a cigarette on his post. When Jas studied him, he appeared to notice, offering her a stone hard glare, forcing her gaze back towards the new puppy daddy as he addressed her. 

“I guess it depends which motel.” She answered, stealing a second worried glance at the man behind the booth. “I’m staying at the boarding house and they seem okay with Topher staying with me.”

ALEC HAD NOTICED the woman watching him play. No harm done, really. He’d never suffered from stage fright, so he was free to play his game in peace. He’d had no issue with her, until she was all but mocking him for winning the puppy. He sent a scowl her way. The kind of expression reserved for offended dog owners — a group which he had just joined. Goldfish or not, the puppy was a champ in his books. 

Alec glanced toward the dog at Jasmin’s side. & he couldn’t help but brighten a little. Already, his little bundle of fur was trying to make friends. Yipping and pawing at the air in a vain attempt to meet the canine on the ground. Alec held tight. He didn’t have a leash & worried the poor thing might go wandering off into the crowd. Though, he’d already suffered a few scratches from the puppy’s kicking paws. Such was the suffering of a father.

“I’m staying at the cactus motel. Haven’t seen anyone with any pets there though..” Alec mused, shooting one final glance towards the booth operator. He was a gruff sort, and didn’t seem like the type who cared for animals anyway. The dog would certainly be safer with him — he just hoped he’d be able to keep them. Having learned her pet’s name, Alec bent down on his haunches, still holding his own puppy in an iron-clad grip. “well hey there, Topher. You lookin’ for a friend? ‘cause I think you found one,”

[nancybcy]

dravcnlea‌:

nancybcy‌:

Juliet was playing a carnival game next to the darts, it was one of those ones where you had to fish items out of the water and try to get as many points as possible. So far she was doing terribly and had a small collection of poorly made stuffed animals sitting on top of her handbag, which she would no doubt pass on to a child’s parent that thought their kid might enjoy them. She was so focused on looking down dejectedly at the stuffed pig that she’d just won, that she almost didn’t hear the voice next to her. At the sight of the dog, her face lit up “You won a dog?! And here I was trying to win a fake one. Maybe I need to try that game next. Do you think there’s anymore dogs back there?” Juliet moved closer and tried to peek around the side of the carnival game. “I don’t know, I only stayed in the hotel for about a month and I didn’t have any pets. I don’t think they’ll take too kindly to having a dog running around though, you’ll probably have to sneak it in.” She said with a shrug, her gaze fell to the stuffed animal in her hands “Does your dog need toys? Because I’ve got heaps over there.” Juliet held out the pig to the puppy her voice suddenly getting high and squeaky “Aren’t you just the cutest thing!”

ALEC HAD BEEN holding the puppy for no less than a minute and was already in love. It kept looking at him with that joyful expression, tongue out, tail wagging. He was sold, so when the woman next to him seemed to share in his delight, he visibly beamed. “um yeah. weird thing, the guy says it’s a goldfish? So I have no idea what their stock is like? But if you wanna try we’ll be here rooting for you. You could use a friend, eh little fella?” Alec used his index to scratch the puppy’s cheek, a much appreciated gesture, it seemed. But then reality dawned on him once again. He lived at the motel and he wasn’t about to get a house. His cheerful expression changed to a slight frown. “do you think I could sneak them in every time they need to go for a walk?” Oh but...he would love a jogging buddy. Alec shrugged a little sheepishly. “I don’t have any dog stuff. Shit, guess I need to go to the store now, huh fella?” He cooed at the animal who was all too happy to gnaw on Juliet’s toy. He looked at her, already knowing the answer. “how’d you like to dog-sit while I run to the store and pick up everything he needs? Maybe try and formulate a master plan for keeping them at the hotel while you’re at it,”

[nancybcy]

eloisejjames‌:

nancybcy·:

The mention of an escape brought a bitter sweet laughter to her lips. “Not a fan of Boot Hill then?” Eloise jested, her words sugar coated to mask the bleakness beneath. Some days she felt like she could even taste escape, and as each sun set she wondered if it would be her last in the dusty and desolate town. It took a moment longer for the brunette to conjure up an answer to his question, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. “I guess… I’m a settler for now. This is a pit stop for me. As soon as I can afford to, I’m out.” That was the truth, there were holes knitted within her words, granted, but there was no need for the full explanation for her arrival and temporary residence in Boot Hill.

NOW THAT WAS A LOADED QUESTION. “No I just, I’ve got someone I need to get back to,” Even just saying it made Alec’s heart ache. He didn’t further elaborate, but the memories were already racing through his mind. Things left unsaid. Mostly ‘sorrys’. Christ what he would give to just say that one word and have it reach it’s destination. He noticed the silence, but was too caught up in his own thoughts for it to have its usual discomforting effect. “oh yeah, I get it. A lot of people seem to settle here, trouble is they end up staying, I guess. And forgetting.” Right, now he was just making shit awkward. “well uh, I hope you can get out of here. Maybe send an escape route my way if you can?” It was meant as a joke to lighten the mood. Alec smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He very much wanted that escape route.

[nancybcy]

amaniitas‌:

❤ . ˚ ◝  ––––––  ❛ alec gansey ❜  

mrs. valdez was among the more suspicious of gabe and isabelle’s teachers. perhaps it was because she was so fond of gabe in her class that she was more nosy as to their lives. on more than one occasion she’d considered trying to clean up felicity’s act and bring her to a conference just to validate the story. except that her near catatonic state wasn’t convincing anyone. no, better that felicity ryan be perpetually unavailable than present. unfortunately, in the ryan household she was both.

pleading eyes fixated on the man’s face as she waited for him to answer–a man in arizona flannel. “ma’am?” she let out an amused exhale through her nose and shook her head. “none of that, but–” if he said she wasn’t looking, joey was brave enough to venture a glance back. no, mrs. valdez’s eyes on her. god, how fucked up was it to dodge a woman for caring. “–yeah, you’re right.” she nodded forward. “lead on.” she said with a smirk and a giggle. it felt more like film noir than rodeo.

ALEC HAD NO IDEA what Joey’s beef with the woman was, but he didn’t mind playing look out. Whatever it was, he was content to get in on the mischief. Alec let the ma’am comment slide with a shrug, training his eye back on the woman they were trying to avoid. “right, I’ll keep eyes, you blend in as much as you can,” He quickly stepped behind her, figuring the bulk of his frame would prove useful in hiding Joey from prying eyes.

Alec began ushering her through the crowd. Glancing over his shoulder every so often to make sure they hadn’t been spotted. “she’s on your abeam — I mean, your nine o’clock, so keep moving,” He instructed, though there was no urgency in his voice. “hey when we get safe & sound I hope you know I expect some quality gossip, as to why you’re running from some old lady, by the way,”

[nancybcy]

fengoria‌:

Ⓐ . ˚ ◝  ––––––  ❛ alec gansey ❜  

kim’s eyes follow the man’s hands intensely as he fished through his pockets for the quarters. thank fuck he had some. she was not leaving the leader board, which had previously read FNG on every spot, one thought ten, to be smeared with the initials of DMK. that was bullshit. it didn’t matter that DMK was in last place. they had to go. “sweet, thank–” she began, dropping the handful of change on top of the game where the player two joystick sat unoccupied. “–oh, what the fuck !” she spoke through gritted teeth as she shoved fifty cents into the machine and stopped the countdown. “you’re lucky i’ve got a full pack or that would be your ride home.” the words lacked their normal spite as she spoke, distracted by the game ahead. “fucking sagat.” she muttered. she didn’t have to be the greatest, she just had to be better than fucking DMK. “listen, smokey the bear, i own this fucking leaderboard.” or, she did. “get ready to see sagat pay for it.”

mashing on the keys, chun li came to life in a fury of kicks before deftly jumping over a fireball from sagat’s fists. in a po-dunk town like boot hill, she’d had a lot of time on her hands–even between her two jobs–to fuck around on a bowling alley arcade game. especially without reliable fucking internet that seemed to ebb and flow with the february desert breeze. “this fuckin’ asshole and his stupid fireballs.” buttons mashing furiously, kim gritted her teeth and groaned before asking. “you play?”

ALEC LOOKED AT the woman with a relaxed expression. Her little ‘freak out’ hardly scratched him. He’d gotten much worse from his drill Sargents, so much so that he hardly blinked when someone was shouting directly in his face anymore.  All he could do in response, was offer a casual shrug. “you were gonna put that in your mouth after it touched the ground? smoking’s bad enough, but you’re really pushing your luck there,” It had gone way past the five-second-rule, so as far as he was concerned, his argument was sound. Alec let out a little front at the nickname. Smokey the bear wasn’t exactly what he was shooting for. If anything, he was more of a smokey the otter but he’d learned long ago that pointing that out could lead to a very long and complicated conversation in which he became a human dictionary. Instead, he trained his eye on the screen. 

The girl was clearly having a tough time — this thing was ruthless but Alec knew he’d far no better. It had been some time since his greasy arcade days, and he’d no doubt lost his groove ( not that he’d ever had one to begin with ). “um, when I was a kid, yeah. But never got on the leaderboards or anything,” which was his way of saying he was no gaming champ. “plus I mostly played shoot-em-ups,”

[nancybcy]

IT HAD TAKEN A WHILE, but Alec had finally gotten a handle on the dart’s weight. He was six...maybe seven tries in, but he had his eye on one of the little bagged gold fish being advertised as prizes. They were easy to take care of plus he could use some silent companionship. His prize was within reach now as he threw his final dart — a near-perfect game. Alec whispered a small sound of triumph as the man running the booth congratulated him. The stranger bent down to retrieve his new pet and — that was not a gold fish.

Instead of the plastic bag Alec had been expecting, a tiny PUPPY was thrust into his hands. The pilot was speechless for a moment, looking it’s little features. Corgi? Hell, maybe a German Shepard, he couldn’t tell. When Alec finally mustered the energy to close his gaping jaw, he turned his attention back to the man. “um, this is a—” 

“A GOLD FISH.” Alec was cut off by the stern voice of the booth worker. His tone said: don’t fight me on this one, buddy. A loosing battle, then. But what was Alec supposed to do? He hadn’t prepared for a dog, sure the thing was cute as hell but dogs were a lot of responsibility, especially puppies. Then again, he had always dreamed of having one. Looking into the puppy’s face again, Alec was sold. He turned to the person beside him & smiled sheepishly. “any idea if the motel allows dogs?”

[emilia-w]

emilia enjoyed the rodeo back when she was a child, but as she got older it was one of the few things about boot hill that seemed to have lost it’s charm for her - particularly since her parents death. but there was still something about the constant laughter that lightened the soul slightly, so emilia always endeavoured to spend at least a few hours each year enjoying the most tasteless entertainment arizona had to offer.

she was attempting to chow down on some candyfloss when she felt a tap on her shoulder. she wheeled around quickly, smiling. “you okay?”

[nancybcy]

ALEC WAS PRETTY steady, as far as his condition went. It didn’t affect him too much, he’d never lost control of himself in public or anything of the sort. He was an extrovert through and through — which helped to provide him with a little extra energy for big events, but eventually his muscles would start to give. Alec could feel it growing, the little tingling of weakness in his calves. He’d quickly gone to fetch a seat. He was upset — mostly about being forced to sit out of the fun for the next twenty minutes. It was a minor inconvenience, sure, but it was still irritating. Apparently his discontent read clear as day, since he was soon approached by a young woman. “I’m alright,” Alec said, offering a tight-lipped smile. “just resting, is all, too much partying I guess. Thanks though,”

[ycungblooded]

        “ this game has to be rigged - there’s not way i’d miss five times. i call foul. ” aggravation burning hot as she lowers the air-gun from her shoulder and shoots the man behind the stall a withering look that promises retribution in some form one day. maybe she’ll mess with his car, the next time it comes in for servicing. she’s good at that. but her aim has never been awful, despite disliking guns for the most part, her daddy taught her well after all. no matter how well she accounts for the differences between real lead and soft bb-pellets, nothing. the cans refuse to fall over.

      dorian turns to her companion, brow drawn in a frown and mouth twisting with displeasure and just the edge of a pout. “ can you believe this shit ? ”   she almost throws the air-gun onto the counter, hands moving to rest on her cocked hips. so much for something fun to do.

[nancybcy]

“well of course they’re rigged, how else are they going to get you to keep playing?” Alec asked, no where near the level of agitated that his companion was. He had already accepted his inevitable defeat before starting the game. He’d managed pretty well as far as rigged games went. But Alec had always been a SHARP-SHOOTER. “I can absolutely believe this shit. you need to find a real skill based game if you want a fair chance, but I don’t think they have those here.”

He couldn’t help but grin a little. It was funny how uptight people got over silly little games. “maybe one day I’ll write an exposure piece, alright? But for now, I’m famished, & I’m craving a pogo,”

[amaniitas]

the bright lights of the beer garden seemed to wash everyone beneath it out and the heat of the summer day plastered her wavy blonde hair to her bare shoulders. it was rare that she indulged in a cigarette, but with a cold beer in her hand, she relished in enjoying a few drags. the rodeo was one of those rare events that everyone–young and old–could enjoy and, with her brother eddie taking her niece and nephew around to a few events, she was catching some much needed time to herself. so far, she hadn’t run into anyone she’d been looking for, but there was always hope to see a familiar and friendly face in the crowd.

leaning against one of the tables, joey scanned the crowd before her eyes landed on mrs. valdez–her nephew’s teacher–and she turned on her heel, spinning to face the person behind her and tossing the cigarette butt in the gravel, crushing it beneath her boot. “okay, please don’t be obvious–” she began, fighting to urge to turn and see if mrs. valdez had spotted her. “–but the salt and pepper haired woman in the floor length denim dress at your … “ she trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut as she pictured her position. “ … eleven o’clock? did she spot me? please tell me she’s not coming over here.” the last thing she needed was to be forced to make another excuse for why her mother–the kids’ official guardian–missed another parent-teacher conference.

[nancybcy]

ALEC HAD BEEN to enough rodeos in his twenty-seven years that he knew the ins & outs by heart. He’d thought he might get bored of them one day — & that might well be true — but he still enjoyed the festivities to this day. Mind you, it was much less exciting when you weren’t with a group of friends who were drunk & egging you on. At least Alec got his own little thrills when he was in a crowd.

He certainly looked the part, wearing flannel & blue jeans. He was one of the only people who’d bothered to dress up but what could he say? he was an Arizona boy through & through. When Joey approached him, Alec was surprised, though he didn’t make a scene. His eyes merely drifted to the target in question — the woman seemed to be shopping for something, eyes fixed on the table in front of her. “negatory, ma’am, but I got eyes on ‘em.” Alec jerked his head to the side, indicating that they should get out of there if they didn’t want to be caught.

[apathest]

the ‘exotic pets’ stall is really just a few snakes (which can easily be found in the desert—granted, the snake in his hands isn’t the type to dwell in the desert) and a tarantula (which also can be easily found in the desert) provided by a local man that brings them out for the kiddies every rodeo and fair, but it’s sonny’s favorite nonetheless. never much of a cowboy himself and perpetually embarrassed by publicly dancing, it’s really his only reason for coming. lifting the snake from over his head, he mimes putting it over the other’s shoulders with a bit of a conspiratorial giggle.

[nancybcy]

ALEC WASN’T PARTICULARLY SQUEAMISH, but snakes were one of those creatures that really got to him. It had never escalated to the point of a phobia or anything, he was perfectly content to look at the ‘exotic animals’ so long as they stayed contained. When he noticed someone step up behind him, and a curiously snake-like shadow hover over his head, he quickly dodged out of the way. “hey woah, not cool, man!” Alec hissed, maybe an attempt to intimidate the creature? who knew. 

[nancybcy]

godfreynate‌:

nancybcy‌:

Nate’s definition of fun was probably way different than Alec’s own. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t entertain the man’s idea at least. “What’s more fun than getting drunk and gambling?” he asked, truly wondering what there was to do. Nate was never to sit still for long, restlessness settling in his bones before finally breaking loose. He knew it’d only be a matter of time before he ended up doing something reckless in this town anyways. At least, he’d get to do it with someone by his side. “We could prank call people like we’re thirteen years old,” Nate sarcastically offered, a bitter chuckle following the remark. He finished off the rest of the beer remaining in his glass. “Seriously, what else is there to do here?”

ALEC LET OUT a hearty laugh, pounding back the remainder of his drink. “clearly you’ve never spent the night with a pilot,” He paused. That had come out a little...gayer than intended, but whatever. “try getting sloshed on a fucking air base. That’s where there’s shit all to do — one time we drew pictures on each other’s backs with ez-cheese & if you couldn’t guess after three tries, you got a cheesy wet-willy,” Alec grinned what a weird fucking night. “In a town like this there’s loads to do. We could go dancing, dude karaoke, or if you’re feeling adventurous, we could try and catch that mirage of a beach that moves around town and go swimming,” Really, the world was their oyster in a town like this. Whatever they decided to do, something interesting would be shoved their way.

[nancybcy]

eloisejjames‌:

nancybcy·:

“Alec.” Eloise repeated, offering a gentle smile, committing the name to memory. To his next comment, she rolled her eyes. The ecstasy of her day had almost allowed her to forget her diner-Cinderella status. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m Eloise. I’m sorry I don’t recognise you— I throw myself straight on auto pilot as soon as I put that badge and apron on.” She admitted, laughing at the both tragic and ridiculous state of her life. “What brings you out this time of night?”

ALEC SHRUGGED. He got it, he wasn’t exactly the most memorable person. Whenever he went into the diner he hate his meal in silence, left a sizable tip on the table and was on his way. “Oh, Eloise, that’s right,” He smiled, remembering he’d seen her name tag. “hey, don’t worry about it, I go on auto-pilot when I get a plate of food in front of me so...” He laughed, but the remnants of his joy soon faded away. That wasn’t an easy question to answer. “I uh — like to walk around, I guess. Just checking to see...if maybe there’s a way out of this town I haven’t tried yet. Uh— what about you? You don’t look like much of an escapist,”

[nancybcy]

lana-richards‌:

    nancybcy‌:

lana smiled slightly. “i know that feeling.” she had always been so organised in regards to her work, meticulously planning every outcome. but when it came to her personal life, she slacked more than she liked to admit to herself. she suddenly felt a sense of bravery, and in a split second decided to extend her hand. “lana richards.”

“nice to meet you,” Alec said with an earnest grin. “I’m Alec, Alec Gansey,” He took her hand in his and shook it briefly. Christ it was nice not to be in an environment where people asserted dominance via handshake any longer — that whole bit got real old, real fast. “I hope I didn’t interrupt your little midnight trip,” He added playfully.

[nancybcy]

ALEC HAD HATED working at Handy Randy’s. It was a mindless job, even for him. It held no weight — no meaning. At least back in the air force he’d had something it fight for, Randy’s had just been a way to keep the cash flowing. After eight months, Alec had finally worked up the balls to quit, if only for his own mental health. That place was no good for him, and he needed to work on himself before he went home. 

Alec had always dreamt of being a writer — but he’d always thought of himself as nothing more then a stupid jock. Still, what did he have to lose in a one horse town like Boot Hill? Alec showed up at the Bulletin dressed in his best clothes. He still looked a little rough no matter what he did — a side effect of the ever present self-loathing he’d developed. But at the very least, Alec looked like he was trying. He knocked on the door briskly & stepped inside. Everyone knew Oliver by reputation alone, though Alec had never spoken to him personally. He found Oliver at one of the desks, looking as forlorn as ever.

Alec cleared his throat softly to get the man’s attention. “Hello, Sir. I’m Alistair Gansey. I know this is sort of short notice but I was wondering if I might be able to schedule an interview? I’m looking for a job,” He then thrust his hand out for a handshake — because at the very least, he was good at those. 

( CLOSED STARTER FOR @oliverweebley )

[nancybcy]

hey guys made a minor yet major change to Alec’s character! I put the info in his INTRO at the bottom of the first section, if you’re interested!!

[nancybcy]

godfreynate‌:

nancybcy·:

Nate knew that getting close to someone could potentially be dangerous. That he was better off working alone. Technically, he still isn’t sure how he’s allowed it to get this far but he’s managed to become friends with Alec. Their friendship had started due to one of Nate’s favorite things: gambling. The man was a natural at it and as he would soon discover, so was Alec. Together, the two were practically unstoppable. Most of the time anyways. The two were on their way to getting completely drunk which Nate didn’t mind. Upon hearing Alec’s remark, he chuckled bitterly. He knew all too well that what he was saying was true. Not everyone would fight for you. Nate wasn’t the friendliest person in the world but he had hoped he had at least one friend to look out for him. That one friend had nearly gotten him killed however. “I understand exactly what you mean,” Nate vaguely agreed. Alec was different. At least, Nate hoped he was. He seemed loyal and trustworthy enough, the type of guy who would fight for his friends when the time came. “Let’s have a toast then,” Nate offered as he raised up his glass, “Cheers to having people, whether it be few or a lot, who’ll fight for you.”

ALEC HADN’T WANTED to get close to anyone here — the thought of being tied to Boot Hill was terrifying. But he was an extrovert, he couldn’t help but be drawn to the company of others, nor could he  just push people away. In the end, he’d bonded somehow with Nate. What were they anyway? Friends, drinking buddies? who knew. Alec enjoyed his company though, which was something he tried not to think about often. The pilot was pretty comfortably drunk — starting to heir on the side of a cheerful disposition. He raised his glass with earnest, clinking his pint against Nate’s. It sent a resounding clink through the bar. “a toast to everyone who stands up for you, and everyone you stand up for,” Alec said, his speech a little slurred by drink. If he were sober he’d be thinking not everyone feels like a guardian angel. But he wasn’t and he liked Nate, which surely meant he had a good heart, right? Alec downed the rest of his beer and snickered. “we should hit the town — find something fun to do, to accompany the toast,”

[nancybcy]

eloisejjames‌:

nancybcy·

Pure joy shone on the brunette’s face for what felt like the first time in a long time. There was no denying life had dealt a hard hand to Eloise, but finally it appeared she was clearing the storm. Carefree was a word no one who had ever known her would have labelled her with, but these days—- it was almost as if something was in the air. Today was a turning point, and honestly, it was painted across her face for all the world to see. Reality set back in fairly quickly, in the form of a stranger approaching her in the night. “No, no it’s alright.” Eloise responded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “I’m just… I just got a bit of an awakening, I guess. Thanks though, that’s really nice, uhh….” Her sentence drifted, trying to recall if she knew the name of the other.

ALEC RETURNED THE smile. Perhaps he’d pegged her wrong after all, he thought. Looking at her now, she certainly didn’t seem like she needed to escape, more along the lines of a breather, honestly. “okay, I just wanted to make sure,” He offered, the response genuine. Alec shoved his hands in his pockets, staving off the cold night air. “that’s good though, I’m glad to hear it,” He figured asking what that meant would be...weird since he didn’t know her. Alec’s brows knit together — but then he realized: “oh, shit, sorry I’m Alec, can’t say I know your name but...you work at the Turquoise Star, yeah?”